Murky Outcome

In a decision that could have serious implications for the environment, U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) announced this week that he will run for governor of his home state next year. Murkowski, a former banker, has been a senator for 21 years and is the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. He has made enemies of environmentalists, especially through his tireless promotion of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and logging in southeastern Alaska. Current Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer, a Democrat, plans to challenge Murkowski, but political analysts say the senator will come equipped with a fortune in campaign funds and will be nearly impossible to beat.